During the Pacific War of 1941–1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service disposed of an increasing number of "air fleets" - airborne combat units attached to the Navy. The 1st Air Fleet was the primary carrier unit, while other Air Fleets were for defence, training or supporting naval operations in particular theatres.
The 1st Air Fleet (第一航空艦隊, Dai-Ichi Kōkū Kantai) formed the primary carrier fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), a grouping of naval aircraft and aircraft carriers that at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, was the world's largest aircraft carrier fleet. As losses mounted, the carriers were removed and the 1st Air Fleet was transformed into a land based Naval aviation force forward based on islands and land masses along the perimeter of the Japanese controlled sphere.
2nd Air Fleet
The 2nd Air Fleet (第二航空艦隊, Dai-Ni Kōkū Kantai) was organized late in the War to defend the National Defence Zone along with 1st Air Fleet. Their area of responsibility was based in the Kyūshū-Okinawa-Formosa district. In October 1944 Vice admiral Shigeru Fukudome moved his HQ from Taiwan to Manila. There he was reinforced and charged with a share of the air defense of the Philippines. However, most of the airplanes and pilots disappeared in November 1944 as a result of fighting against the Halsey Fleet from the front during the Philippines campaign. Soon thereafter, in Jan 1945, the 2nd Air Fleet was dissolved and merged into the 1st Air Fleet.
The 11th Air Fleet (第十一航空艦隊, Dai-Jūichi Kōkū Kantai) was a grouping of naval aviation and surface units based in Formosa that moved through the Philippines and New Guinea then supported the Solomon Islands campaign during the Japanese advance at the start of the war. Heavily engaged in the Guadalcanal Campaign. From the end of 1942 they provided air cover to the Southeast Area Fleet.
12th Air Fleet
The 12th Air Fleet (第十二航空艦隊, Dai-Jūni Kōkū Kantai) was in charge of air cover for the Northeast Area Fleet.
Structure (extract)
Date
Higher unit
Lower units
18 May 1943 (original)
Combined Fleet
No units, they were existence only in the documents.
Chief of staff of the Central Pacific Area Fleet KIA on 8 July 1944
x
vacant post
9 July 1944
Footnotes
^NAG = Naval Air Group (海軍航空隊, Kaigun Kōkūtai). The same shall apply hereinafter.
^Description by the italic type character shows that they are "Category 'B' Naval Air Group" (海軍乙航空隊, Kaigun Otsu Kōkūtai). They defended the air base with anti-aircraft arms.
^CAG = Combined Air Group (聯合航空隊, Rengō Kōkūtai). The same shall apply hereinafter.
^AG = Air Group (航空隊, Kōkūtai). The same shall apply hereinafter.
